While the Joe Torre situation drags on and on and on, at least one candidate apparently doesn’t want the job. According to a friend of Mattingly’s “he does not feel ready for the manager's job and is uncomfortable with replacing Joe Torre.” Furthermore, he has told a member of the Steinbrenner family his feelings.
While Don's agent denies the report, Mattingly is absolutely right to be wary of taking this job. He is easily the most popular Yankee by far and taking over for a respected and admired manager is a no-win situation. Furthermore, appointing Mattingly manager would create problems for Steinbrenner as well, how do you fire “Donnie Baseball”?
What affect this has on Torre’s fate remains to be seen. Will this put Joe Girardi at the top of the list or does it open the door for someone like Tony LaRussa or Bobby Valentine? One name we can cross off the list is Dusty Baker who signed a contract with the Reds. Stay tuned, the Steinbrenner family meeting starts today with the airing of grievances.
